Current status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 3 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) action it has taken and (b) steps it is considering to support the urgent provision of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, in light of reports of aid entering the region reaching a historic low and a persistent risk of famine, and Israel's parliament voting to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from operating in the region.
Over the past year, the Scottish Government has committed £1m for Gaza and the wider Middle East, including £750k for UNRWA and a further £250k to the Disasters Emergency Committee, Mercy Corps and SCIAF. This money will provide food, water, medical assistance and shelter to displaced people across the region.
Given the intolerable suffering in Gaza, the fact that humanitarian access continues to be systematically blocked is unconscionable. Israel's decision to ban UNRWA will undoubtedly further undermine living conditions in Gaza. We continue to call for an immediate ceasefire and unfettered access to vital humanitarian aid for civilians across Gaza.